Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance 101: Do Your Clients Know the Difference Between Homeowners Insurance and Flood Insurance this Hurricane Season?
Jan 22 2025 // This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. The 2024 hurricane season just wrapped, officially ending on Nov. 30, 2024, with two major storms making news and breaking records as of this writing (Hurricanes Helene...
Insurtechs’ Approach to Wildfire Insurance: Part I – Delos
Jan 21 2025 // While the Los Angeles wildfires inch closer toward containment, estimates of insured losses continue to creep higher. CoreLogic said the industry price tag of the Palisades and Eaton fires could land between $35 billion...
Los Angeles Pushes to Rebuild Homes Fast, Despite Wildfire Danger
Jan 17 2025 // California politicians are rushing to make it easier for residents to rebuild their homes incinerated in the Los Angeles firestorms. That means waiving green construction mandates designed to combat climate change —...
Smoke, Coverage Issues Cloud Wildfire Forecast: $35-$45B Losses Insured
Jan 17 2025 // CoreLogic announced a preliminary range of insured losses for the Eaton and Palisades Fires in Los Angeles of $35 billion to $45 billion, but there are a lot of factors that could change the numbers. “We don’t...
Will California’s FAIR Plan Have Enough Cash for Its Wildfire Claims?
Jan 16 2025 // There has been some question about whether California’s insurer of last resort – the FAIR Plan – has enough cash on hand to pay for its share of wildfire claims. As surplus is inadequate and reinsurance has a...
Too High? Too Low? BMS Analyzes Early Wildfire Insured Loss Estimates
Jan 16 2025 // Industry analysts’ early estimates of insurance industry losses for the January 2025 California wildfires have already grown from $8 billion to $40 billion-plus—with many noting that it’s too early for...
Georgia Lawmakers to Take up School Safety, Hurricane Relief as Session Starts
Jan 15 2025 // ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday proposed giving public schools a one-time additional $50 million to spend on school safety, but his plan falls short of the increased counseling resources school officials...
Cyber, Business Interruption, Natural Disasters Listed as Top 3 Business Risks: Allianz
Jan 15 2025 // Cyber, business interruption and natural catastrophes are the top three risks that concern global businesses, according to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2025. Cyber incidents, such as ransomware attacks, data breaches and IT...
Update: LA Wildfire Insurance-Loss Estimates Approach $40 Billion
Jan 14 2025 // The cost of wildfires ravaging swaths of Los Angeles keeps rising, with new estimates of the total losses for the insurance industry now seen as high as $40 billion. The fresh figure Jan. 14 from Keefe Bruyette & Woods...
California Wildfires Wrapup: Aerial Assault Aims to Stem LA Palisades Fire Spread
Jan 11 2025 // LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills to stem the eastward spread of the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles on Saturday as on-the-ground firefighting intensified amid...
The Most Important LA Wildfire Stories to Know About
Jan 10 2025 // As firefighters gain more control over what have become the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history in a matter of days, the scale of the destruction and losses is becoming clearer. Despite the cacophony of a world...
Update: Re/Insurer Losses From LA Wildfires Expected to Be Significant but Manageable
Jan 10 2025 // Insurers are facing significant losses from the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires — given the high value of homes and businesses in the affected communities. However, those losses are likely to be manageable for...
Edison Denies LA Wildfire Involvement as Insurers Ask It to Preserve Evidence
Jan 10 2025 // Southern California Edison said on Thursday it had received notices from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire that is still burning in Los Angeles, but said no fire agencies have pointed the...
Insured Losses From Los Angeles Wildfires Rising: $8B to $20B
Jan 9 2025 // Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new AccuWeather total loss estimates. With aerial firefighting returning as strong Southern California winds died down for a bit, damage assessments from a handful of...
Major Florida Citrus Grower to End Operations After Years of Hurricanes and Blight
Jan 9 2025 // ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A major grower said this week it is abandoning its citrus growing operations, reflecting the headwinds Florida’s signature crops are facing following a series of hurricanes and tree...
Insured Losses From Natural Disasters Hit $140B as Climate Change ‘Shows Its Claws’
Jan 9 2025 // Insurers saw the third most expensive year for natural catastrophe losses in 2024 – reaching a total of US$140 billion – as climate change “is showing its claws,” according to Munich Re. Overall economic...
Oregon’s New Rules for Homeowners Living in Certain High-Risk Wildfire Areas
Jan 9 2025 // Oregon homeowners living in certain areas at high risk of wildfire will face stricter building codes and mandates to reduce vegetation on their properties under new “wildfire hazard maps” unveiled Tuesday. The...
California Wildfires Will Likely Lead to Large Economic and Insured Losses
Jan 8 2025 // Active wind-driven wildfires in Southern California that are estimated to have burned more than 1,000 properties and prompted evacuation orders for more than 80,000 residents will likely lead to what industry watchers say...
Tibet Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People, Leaves Many Trapped
Jan 8 2025 // A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped...
Thousands Flee From Uncontrolled Wildfires Burning Near Los Angeles
Jan 8 2025 // Millions of people in California face at least two more days of dry, hot winds that have fanned fires across Los Angeles County and sent residents fleeing for their lives. Hurricane-force wind gusts of as much as 86 miles...
